We have the capacity to be fierce and like, we're talking about building muscle in the spiritual realm.

We're getting athletic in the spirit.

Am I losing anybody?

Because we're getting over that, that every single one of us is capable and called

of being muscular and athletic in the spirit in what God has called us to do.

All right. Our text is toward the very end of 1 Corinthians chapter 9. But I want to give you just a little bit of context so you know what we're going into.

I want you to glance at the headings that most of your formal translations will have over chapter 8, 1st Corinthians chapter 8, and then I want you to look at the one that is over 1st Corinthians

chapter 9 and it will give you a little bit of background so that when we head into the middle

of chapter 9 you'll know what gets us there. So Paul, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth,

the very gifted church in Corinth, who also just has a lot of flesh going that is working in

opposition to what the spirit is doing. Now, I just think we can understand that in the church

in our present day. There are a lot of things

that build up our flesh, but God is wanting to do a work of the spirit, and those two things

are opposed to one another. And so Paul is trying to get this message across to them. So if you'll

look at the caption, your caption will say any of your major translations, something similar to this,

food offered to idols. What in the world does that mean? He starts out the chapter, because

this has been a problem where they are. There's a lot of idolatry in Corinth. And so what he is

addressing is, okay, he begins it by saying, you and I both know that because there is no other God, anything that has been offered to any kind of other God, any kind of idol means absolutely nothing.

It means nothing because there is no other God. So, I mean, if you can eat that

and you're fine with it and it does nothing to your conscience, good. But what he says is,

you need to be sure that you know that there are other people that had such a background in

idolatry.

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